Tag Archives: protein

Did you know eggs are so much better for you than you probably know? I admit that I love eggs, mostly for breakfast. For years many people avoided the yolk to have a healthier egg based meal. The truth is, eating just the egg whites is NOT doing you any health favors. Though there are a few less calories without the yolk, the nutritional value of the egg reduces significantly and the you lose the protein value. Forget the cholesterol also, as research shows the cholesterol (HDL) is good for you and it really doesn’t have any substantial effect on serum cholesterol values, nor does it have any substantial impact for increasing the risk for coronary heart disease or stroke! Two eggs over easy please, with whole wheat toast!

If you like eggs, and want to lose some weight, this might be just for you. A recent study of men and women who ate two eggs at breakfast (as part of a reduced-calorie plan) lost a whopping 65% more weight than those who ate a bagel breakfast of equal calories. The egg eaters also felt more energetic. As far as the yolk, nutritionists are encouraging you to eat the yolks in that they contribute to the weight loss, but also increase the HDL cholesterol as well as being a good source of vitamin B12 and choline. I wouldn’t recommend the buttered toast, hash browns and bacon to go along with those eggs, if you are trying to lose some weight, however, having protein to start the day, helps reduce appetite and keeps blood sugar levels from wild fluctuations.

Health Tip Today: With all the New Year resolutions I thought these tips might help you not sabatoge your exercise and diet plans in the early year. First do not try to do too much, too soon. Be smart about making sure your calories support the amount of exercise. In other words don’t necessarily under eat and over exercise. Doing that can make havoc with your metabolic rate. Adopt a diet plan you can afford and enjoy because off the shelf diet programs can be very expensive. Make sure your food choices support the activity. For example don’t eat low carb while training for long runs or low protein for weight lifting. Be careful with the energy bars because they are often loaded with sugar and fat and high calories. Don’t over eat just because you are exercising more and think you are burning more calories. That can be self defeating if you are trying to lose weight. Carefully consider your pre-workout snacks and your post-workout meals. These are important for energy and recovery.

Happy New Year and let the resolutions just begin again! Protein is great for weight loss however “when” you consume it is just as important as “how much” is consumed. Recent studies show that balancing out protein intake throughout the day made a significant difference for those trying to loss weight, lose fat and increase muscle mass. Apparently starting the day off with a protein rich breakfast, then including protein at lunch and dinner, with each meal containing about 25-30 grams protein; leads to less hunger, and reduces unhealthy snacking. Researchers also found out other benefits such as helping keep triglycerides and blood pressure lower. This was determined after a review of 24 studies on protein consumption. Eat up!!

Many people reach a point in their life where they wish to lose weight. However, during weight loss we do lose muscle mass which is something we do not want to lose. Muscle burns more calories and boosts the metabolism. A recent study showed that those who doubled the RDA for daily protein lost fat while maintaining their muscle mass compared to those who didn’t. The recommended RDA is about 77 grams of protein daily however to double that would be 144 grams of protein. When losing weight try to follow a balanced diet in the long run.

Speaking of eggs, not all protein is the same. For instance, a study of healthy adults found that eating a breakfast containing egg protein resulted in lower insulin responses and better maintenance of blood sugar levels than eating an identical breakfast containing ham. A whole egg or egg yolk at breakfast helps slow the rate at which food leaves the stomach and increases the level of hormones that act as hunger suppressants.

Studies show protein to be effective in reducing hunger. Did you know that eggs (high in protein) can also help you lose more weight, eat fewer calories, feel less hungry, lose more fat, suppress your hunger, improve plasma cholesterol and and blood glucose levels compared to those on high carbohydrate diets, maintain better glucose sugar levels, maintain a lower healthier weight, and maintain lean muscle mass. More on this next time!